With the 2023 fantasy baseball season fast approaching. We’re taking time to take a look at the top 15 starting pitchers for fantasy baseball 2023. These rankings will be based on points leagues with standard scoring.
Top 15 Starting Pitcher for Fantasy Baseball 2023
1. Shohei Ohtani (LAA – SP/DH)
2. Gerrit Cole (NYY – SP)
3. Corbin Burnes (MIL – SP)
4. Jacob deGrom (TEX – SP)
5. Sandy Alcantara (MIA – SP)
6. Aaron Nola (PHI – SP)
7. Spencer Strider (ATL – SP/RP)
8. Max Scherzer (NYM – SP)
9. Shane McClanahan (TB – SP)
10. Carlos Rodon (NYY – SP)
11. Brandon Woodruff (MIL – SP)
12. Justin Verlander (NYM – SP)
13. Logan Webb (SF – SP)
14. Dylan Cease (CWS – SP)
15. Zac Gallen (ARI – SP)
Shohei Ohtani:
Ohtani has transcended into fantasy baseball stardom. After a 2021 season in which Ohtani posted a 3.18 ERA over 130.1 IP, he only got better in 2022. In 2022, he posted a 2.33 ERA over 166 IP. This doesn’t even take into account his production from the batter’s box. Ohtani seems like the clear choice as #1 in most points leagues.
Gerrit Cole:
Cole has been one of the most consistent starting pitchers in baseball over the past 5 seasons. Since his trade to Houston, his combination of strikeout rate and durability have made him one of the top pitching options. Although his ERA has been rising the past two years, his underlying metrics support a strong bounceback this season.
Corbin Burnes:
Since 2019, when Burnes was arguably the worst pitcher in baseball, he has been nothing short of dominant. His ERA has been sub 3.00 in all three years while maintaining a strikeout rate of over 10 K/9. He’ll continue to be a dominant force.
Jacob deGrom:
Simply put, when deGrom is healthy, he is the most dominant fantasy baseball weapon in the league. Over the past two seasons, deGrom has pitched only 156.1 innings. In those two seasons however, he has had a WHIP of 0.55 and 0.75 respectively, while maintaining a strikeout rate of over 14 K/9. If you’re looking to take a risk on a pitcher staying healthy, deGrom is the number one option.
Sandy Alcantara:
Alcantara is the most durable arm in the league, and his durability helped him earn a Cy Young in 2022. His underlying metrics suggest that his statistics may be a little better than he actually pitched in 2022. However, it seems you can count on Alcantara to give you 30+ starts and 200+ innings every year. Even if he regresses slightly, he is still a very valuable fantasy pitcher.
Fantasy Pitchers just outside of Top 15:
Some other pitchers to keep an eye on that have top-15 finishing potential: Shane Bieber, Zach Wheeler, Julio Urias, Kevin Gausman, Luis Castillo, Alek Manoah, Max Fried, and Framber Valdez. Good luck this season
